How To Change or Reset a Windows 8/8.1 Password

Windows 8 and 8.1 provide several new ways to access a computer compared to previous versions of Windows; we now have the option to connect a Microsoft account, set a PIN and create a picture password. This can naturally complicate the process of Windows password recovery; in this article we take you through the steps to accomplish that.

Windows 8 Password Reset via Microsoft Account

When you set up your Windows 8 account, Windows gave you the option to link that computer account with your Microsoft (or Hotmail/Live) account; if you did this, Microsoft has a process to reset your password:

Use the following command line to remove the password for any account (replacing “username” with the name of the user account you wish to remove the password for):

Net User username “”

The password for the account is now removed.

How to reset a Windows 8 password

It’s a good idea to set a new Windows 8 password for an account after removing its password. Follow these steps:

Bring up the Charms menu by pressing the Windows key + [C] simultaneously (touchscreen users: swipe in from the right side)

Click or touch “Settings”

Click “Change PC settings”

Click “Accounts” from the left-hand menu

Click “Sign-in options”

Under the “Password” section, click “Add” or “Change”

Setting a Windows 8 PIN

Windows 8 has a feature that lets you set a four-digit PIN to quickly unlock your computer, much like mobile phones. You’ll still have to enter your full Windows 8 password when you login for the first time, however.

Bring up the Charms menu by pressing the Windows key + [C] simultaneously (touchscreen users: swipe in from the right side)

Click or touch “Settings”

Click “Change PC settings”

Click “Accounts” from the left-hand menu

Click “Sign-in options”

Under the “PIN” section, click “Add”

Setting a Windows 8 Picture Password

Another new Windows 8 feature is the ability to set a picture password for your account.

Bring up the Charms menu by pressing the Windows key + [C] simultaneously (touchscreen users: swipe in from the right side)

Click or touch “Settings”

Click “Change PC settings”

Click “Accounts” from the left-hand menu

Click “Sign-in options”

Under the “Picture Password” section, click “Choose Picture”

After choosing a picture, you’ll be prompted to create a series of three gestures which will become your picture password.

I found picture passwords are only practical with touchscreens; it’s difficult to accurately duplicate gestures using a traditional mouse and worse yet, anyone looking at your screen can see the gestures you’re making.

Conclusion

Performing a Windows 8 password reset is potentially more complicated than it was with previous versions of Windows; this is mainly due to the fact that there are new ways to access an account such as connecting a Microsoft account. In this way we walked through the steps to reset the password not only for a Microsoft account but also for non-connected Windows 8 accounts. We walked through the steps to create a new password, picture password and PIN.